Colonial Rivalry
After 1870, the European nations began to acquire colonies in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. In Africa, all the European powers except Austria and Russia had colonies there. Colonial rivalry was a cause of the First World War because Germany envied Britain and France because f their huge empires. The Kaiser believed that Germany should also have a massive empire.
Military Rivalry
All the countries of Europe wanted to be the best. The growing European divide had led to an arms race between the main countries. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914
Nationalism
Before the war nationalism spread across Europe. Many countries were proud of their nations. Ethnic groups within empires like the Slavs wanted independence. The love of one’s country helped to hate other countries.
Short Term Causes
Naval Rivalry
Britain and Germany were the chief rivals at sea. Under Admiral Tirpitz, a long-term shipbuilding programme began. The German Navy Law of 1898 increased the German battleships from nine cruisers to twelve. In 1900 Germany passed a Navy Law which doubled the German battle fleet.
While this was going on Britain produced her first Dreadnought. Dreadnoughts were large, fast and heavily armed battleships with 12inch guns. They set a new standard. The naval race became intense. Between 1909 and 1911 Germany built nine Dreadnoughts while Britain completed 18 Dreadnoughts.
Alsace- Lorraine
France felt bitter towards Germany over the piece of land they took during the Franco Prussian war.
War Plans
The countries had plans for war even before it started. The German plan was called the Schnieffen plan. This plan was that his troops would go through Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg to Paris and the rest would go straight to French towns. After this they would go back across to Russia.
France also had a plan called ‘plan 17’.
The Trigger Factor
The trigger factor of the invation a probably the main cause of the start of the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Serbian terrorist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. The system of alliances began to operate automatically, with Germany supporting Austria-Hungary and France backing Russia. When Germany invaded France through Belgium, the conflict escalated into a world war. World War One.